Halogenated α-fluoroethers, the object of the present invention, serve as an important intermediate of medicines or agrichemicals or as an important flon alternative compound. Particularly, α,β,β,β-tetrafluoroethers are utilized as a useful intermediate for a volatile anaesthetic “desflurane”. As conventional techniques for such α-fluoroethers, relating to the present invention, the following two techniques are exemplified.
There have been disclosed: a process for reacting fluoral hemiacetals with the Yarovenko's reagent (Patent Publication 1); and a process consisting of two process steps in which fluoral hemiacetals are converted into corresponding p-toluenesulfonic acid esters and then these are reacted with fluoride anion (F−) (Patent Publication 2).